Trust 'can always be improved'
"College should be seen to be approachable, helpful and available to offer guidance. I believe that is already happening but it can always get better and the message needs to be spread around."
“I think trust has come on a lot, but it can always be improved,” says Niall Connell, who is standing for re-election in the RCVS Council elections. “I speak to friends and colleagues who distrust and dislike the college, for historical reasons.”
Niall, who was senior veterinary surgeon at the Glasgow East PDSA Petaid hospital for 15 years, now works as a clinical and professional skills instructor at Glasgow Vet School.
An RCVS Council member for 19 months, Niall inherited Beverly Cottrell’s remaining part of term after she stepped down to join the newly developed Disciplinary Committee in July 2013. If re-elected to Council, he is hoping to get more stuck-in to the role:
“I’m still getting to grips with how it all works. I’m keen to be involved in reforming Council structure and assist with College engaging the profession. I’d also like to continue my work with the VN Council as the VN profession strives to make ‘veterinary nurse’ a protected title. I want to make a difference.”
Although there are several ways that the profession already communicates with council members, such as email, telephone and social media, Niall believes there is scope for this communication to be improved:
“I was talking to someone last night who was looking for information for something, I wasn’t sure and I suggested that they call the College. They said ‘Oh no. I wouldn’t do that!’ That apprehension and fear needs to go. It is not like calling up Beetlejuice! College should be seen to be approachable, helpful and available to offer guidance. I believe that is already happening but it can always get better and the message needs to be spread around.”
If re-elected to Council, Niall is also hoping to work with relevant stakeholders to help address mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession at all levels:
“We need to look at how best to help the profession look at training, support and awareness for everyone. Council can work with all the relevant stakeholders to address this. This should be applied right down the line, starting with the young people joining veterinary courses in the future.”
Nominations for the RCVS Council elections are now open. Voting can be done online or by post and closes at 5pm on Friday, April 24.
To read our full interview with Niall, visit www.vetcommunity.com. Log in or sign up for a free account to discuss the elections in the VetCommunity chatter zone.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
